In the Blink of an Eye
by OCfanfiction100
Summary: (Blink/OC) After saving her from the Delancy brothers, Blink starts to fall for Bethany Claris, whose guardian just happens to be our man Denton. With the strike looming, how will the love birds relationship fair when Blink disappears for a night. Third story in the Newsies category, feel free to request another one shot via the review button.


A.N. Hey guys, I kinda wrote this when I was in a long car trip and bored out of my mind so it may not be really good. SORRY!

Bethany Claris was not a very wealthy girl. Her parents were both factory workers. Her mother died in a fire when she was only eight and her father turned to alcohol for support. He would go on drunken tantrums in which Bethany would just lock herself in her room until he passed out. Three years after her mother passed, her father passed away after getting caught in a machine at the factory.

Bethany, at the age of thirteen was given to an old friend of her mother's: Bryan Denton. Bryan was the star news correspondent for The Sun. He was often always busy but still made time for Bethany, like teaching her how to read, write, and other skills that would help her understand the world around her. Although Denton was rich, Bethany rejected the fancy dresses that were available to her in favor of the comfortable clothes that she had grown up wearing.

She didn't enter school, being too old to start, and spent her time working at a small book store in Manhattan. Although she wouldn't be able to read some of the more advanced selections, whenever the store was empty she taught herself to read better. Her shift of four hours tied her up until about two in the afternoon. After work, she often found herself wandering the streets. She was curious.

One day while wandering the streets she ran into two men, the Delancy brothers. She was walking quietly near the Distribution Center when suddenly two men blocked her way. "Hey, sweetheart, what's a pretty doll such as yourself doing walking all alone," Oscar smiled.

Bethany ignored them and tried to walk around them, but they blocked her way again. "Excuse me, I'm trying to get through," Bethany replied stiffly. When she tried to go around them yet again, Oscar grabbed her wrist.

"Now see here, we were in the middle of a conversation, darling. That ain't very polite trying to walk out on us."

"Let me go, please," Bethany responded calmly even though on the inside, she was freaking out.

"Hey, uglies! You heard the lady, lay off ya bums," a voice said from behind her. Bethany turned around to see three boys around her age, maybe a little older. One was tan with curly dark hair. The boy standing next to him was blonde with an eye patch. The third boy was shorter than the others with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.

"We were just going to lead the lady home, right doll?" Oscar retorted, gripping her wrist tighter.

"You're hurting me," Bethany winced, thinking that there would be a bruise where Oscar was grabbing her.

"I said lay off," the one with the cigar stated. Oscar threw Bethany to the ground, and charged the newsies, his brother right behind him. Bethany watched the brothers fight the newsies. She wasn't one much for fights but she had to admit she enjoyed it when the kid with the eye patch punch Oscar in the eye, a definite black eye.

Within a minute, the newsies had the brothers running away. When they turned the corner, the kid with the eye patch walked over and helped Bethany up. "Thanks," Bethany replied.

"No problem, we don't like 'em anyways. I'm Kid Blink by the way, but you can call me Blink. These are my friends Mush and Racetrack," he smiled, pointing out the individual newsies. They tipped their hats.

"Thanks again, how can I repay you?" Bethany questioned.

"The thanks is enough, though I should probably walk you home, just in case those thugs get any ideas," Blink responded.

"Sure, my name's Bethany by the way," she smiled. Blink told his friends to go on without him and Bethany led him back to her townhouse. Blink walked her up to her door. "Thanks again, Blink," Bethany said. She kissed his cheek before entering her home. Blink stood still for a second, before placing his hands on his cheek and smiling goofily.

He walked back to the Newsboy Lodge where his fellow newsies were waiting for him. "It's da Manhattan Hero, saving the damsel in distress yet again."

"Aw, shut it Race."

"You're smiling," Race pointed out.

"What, am I not allowed to smile?" Blink replied defensively.

"It's the way you're smiling. She kissed ya didn't she?" Blink remained silent. "I told ya! Ya owe me ten cents Boots!" Blink blushed.

"He's blushing!" Jack joked.

"Aw shut up the lot o' ya! It was one kiss, besides a goil like dat? She's probably got suitors lined out the door!" Blink complained.

"Which is exactly why you should make your move on dis girl before some other bloke does," Jack responded, patting Blink on the shoulder. Little did Blink know that his wish to see Bethany again came true? Exactly two weeks later, Blink still had not forgotten Bethany or the softness of her lips when she kissed his cheek. The strike had started and Blink, with nothing to do because he had to wait for Jack to get back before they could make their move, decided to walk around the city for a little bit.

When he entered Central Park he was surprised to see Bethany sitting by the pond. As he got closer to her he was sure that it was Bethany because of her stark ginger hair which was tied back with a blue ribbon. "Fancy seeing you here, damsel," Blink stated, sitting next to her.

"Hi Blink, what brings you to Central Park?" Bethany asked, doodling something on the paper in front of her.

"Well, I was walking around when I notice a girl sitting all by herself by the pond. Couldn't let da Delancy's get a chance to take advantage of ya, now could I?"

"That's very kind of you but shouldn't you be at work?" Bethany replied, motioning to his newsies cap.

"We're on strike, so no work for me," Blink said.

"You were the newsies Denton was talking about," Bethany gasped, looking at Blink with surprise in her features.

"Yeah, how do you know Denton?" Blink asked, skipping a stone.

"He's my guardian. My parents are dead and no one else wanted me. He's an old friend of my mother's."

"I'm sorry. I know how ya feel, my mom's dead and I ran away from my dad cause he was a maniac. That's why I have this patch, he smashed a beer bottle and some of the glass went into my eye, blinding me forever." Bethany, feeling bold, touched Blink's eye patch lightly.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not really, that eye's probably numb anyways from all the black eyes I've gotten," Blink joked.

"Did you get those saving damsels such as myself?" Bethany bantered.

"Of course," Blink replied in a 'posh' accent. Bethany giggled lightly as the duo smiled at each other. The next three hours for the couple consisted of talking and joking around. Blink walked Bethany home once again, receiving another kiss of the cheek as a reward. After Bethany closed the door, Blink was sure that he was absolutely head over heels for this girl.

As the strike continued, Blink visiting Bethany every night. The two would sit on the roof, just talking under the stars. One night, Bethany accidently brushed Blink's eye patch with her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Bethany stammered out quickly, worried that he had a black eye that he was trying to conceal from her after she almost tore her whole room apart when he came with bruised ribs.

"Its fine, I told you it doesn't hurt," Blink soothed. To prove his point, Blink took off his patch and handed it to Bethany. Bethany stared at his eye that was clearly blind seeing as an ugly scar ran down the middle of it. Blink nudged his eye, not wincing the least bit. "See," Blink pointed out.

Bethany remained quiet as she placed her hand on Blink's own, near his blind eye. In complete silence and understanding, the duo leaned in. Bethany closed her eyes as their lips brushed each other's. Blink pulled her closer to him as they kissed in the moon's embrace. When they broke away from the kiss out of need for air, Blink looked down.

"What's wrong?" Bethany asked, concerned.

"I-I-I don't deserve you, Bethany. I'm street scum, and you're beautiful. You deserve someone better than me, I'm just the son of a cooper and his wife."

"Blink, I don't want anyone else. I only care about you. I don't care if you're a newsie, that doesn't matter to me." Blink smiled slightly, and smiled even bigger when Bethany kissed him again. That night, Blink left. The next night, Bethany waited on the rooftop where they always met for hours. "Where is he?" she paced. She stayed there all night, heartbroken about how he had not shown up.

The next day, she decided she would go out and look for him. She first stopped at the Lodging House, after asking for directions. She walked inside, surprised to see just about no newsies milling around. "How can I help you?" an old man asked at the counter.

Bethany turned and walked over to the counter. "I'm looking for Blink, Kid Blink. He lives here right?" Bethany replied.

"Yes, although the other boys told me he was arrested last night at the newsie rally," the old man stated solemnly.

"Thank you," Bethany replied, running out of the Lodging House. She ran towards her home when she passed the court house which was busing with activity. Coming to a stop, Bethany looked for Blink in the crowd, hoping by some chance that he was milling around after his trial. By some form of luck, Blink was among the crowd. "Blink!" she hollered, pushing through the crowd to get to him.

Blink, hearing his name in the crowd turned to look for the person who shouted for him. There, he saw Bethany nudging her way through the crowd, her ginger hair standing out in the crowd around her. "Bethany!" he responded, pushing forward to get to her. After both pushing people aside muttering apologies, the couple was reunited. They embraced each other.

"I was so worried," Bethany whispered.

"I'm fine. Just a few bumps and bruises, but nothing time can't patch." Blink led her back to the newsies. Bethany was sure that the boys would have made fun of Blink for finally manning up if it were not for their situation. Blink told Bethany to go home, promising to visit as soon as the meeting at Tibby's concluded. Bethany agreed.

Within the week, Bethany was relieved that the strike was over and that the newsies had beaten the newspaper tycoons. Denton, after hearing from Race that Bethany and Blink were seeing each other. He wasn't angry but just warned Blink that if he broke Bethany's heart that he would have Blink arrested and thrown into jail within an hour. Everyone was happy and the future looked promising.

Three Years Later . . .

Blink and Bethany had been married about two years after the strike (Blink was absolutely terrified that she would say no and therefore didn't want to propose until the other newsies spent hours convincing them that she would say yes). Blink had gotten a job as a sailor, much to Bethany's worry.

Bethany had become pregnant and went into labor a whole month ahead of schedule. Blink was working, and wouldn't be back for another two weeks, much to Bethany's distress. "I can't have this baby without Andy," Bethany wailed. Andy, Bethany's nickname for Blink after finding out original name was Andrew, was coming home early unbeknownst to his wife.

Blink's ship docked in the harbor and Blink hopped on the back of a cart that would pass his apartment building. Blink hopped off at the apartment building and walked up the stairs, unknowingly not missing his child's birth. When Blink opened the door to his and Bethany's apartment, he was startled to see that his friends from the newsies were sitting in his small apartment.

"What are youse guys doing here?" Blink asked, dropping his bag off at the door.

"Blink, you're just in time, Beth's in labor!" Race said quickly pushing Blink towards the bedroom door.

"What?" Blink squeaked, sprinting to the bedroom door and opening it quickly. "I'm here!" Blink said hurriedly.

"Andy!" Bethany sighed in relief as her husband took her hand. He squeezed it reassuringly as she started to push. After about an hour, a baby's cry shot through the air.

"It's a girl!" the midwife said, handing the newborn baby to Blink. He cradled her like a china doll and smiled widely.

"She's beautiful," Blink smiled.

"She'll have guys lining up to date her," Bethany joked, looking at their baby.

"If any boys come within five feet of you, daddy will have to beat them up because you are not dating," Blink told his daughter. She just yawned in response, much to her parents' happiness.

The End

A.N. Here you go, request other newsie one shots that you want to see! I already did Crutchy and Spot.


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